


First Snow

by JenoSamoyed



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Angst, Christmas, Christmas Eve, Ex-Boyfriends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-21
Updated: 2019-12-21
Packaged: 2021-02-26 23:47:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21887638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JenoSamoyed/pseuds/JenoSamoyed
Summary: It's Christmas Eve and Jaemin is satisfied with the gifts he had bought. What he doesn't expect is to bump into his ex-boyfriend in the subway station and wreck the present that the other is carrying.
Relationships: Lee Jeno/Na Jaemin
Kudos: 25





	First Snow

**Author's Note:**

> Hi~ This is my second work and it's based on an old Exo song, First Snow (첫 눈).  
> (Of course you don't necessarily need to know the song to read this story, I said it just for reference)  
> I know it's a sad story but I hope you will still like it! ><

It was December the 24th, and Jaemin had gone to the city center to buy last minute presents for his family and friends. He had always been the type who loves Christmas so much to start buying presents in September, but this time he had just procrastinated until the very last second. It was almost 5pm and he had just ended his shopping session, so he was quite satisfied: maybe the presents were not as beautiful and personalized as the other years, but he had managed to buy something for everyone. He was coming down the stairs of the central subway station when he heard a familiar "beep": the train had arrived and was about to leave again. During holidays there were so many people and so few trains, so he rushed in order to take it and avoid to wait for who knows how long. He had almost reached it and he could still hear the beeping sound, he just had to turn the corner at the end of the stairs and get into the train... Nevermind. He bumped into someone who was descending from the subway, and he heard a terribile crash sound, like a glass going to pieces.  
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Exclaimed Jaemin, realising he had just destroyed the present someone had bought. Of course, as he bent over to pick up the damaged box, the train was already gone. "I hope it was not something exp..." Started Jaemin, but he stopped as soon as he saw the face of the other person.  
"Uh... Kinda." Replied the young man in front of him. After a short pause, he added: "Long time no see, Jaemin." In that moment, Jaemin wished to be under the subway train. His eyes became teary and he just wanted to escape, but he had destroyed a quite expensive present and he felt obliged to repair the damage.  
"Yeah, it's been a while..." He replied. "I'm... I'm sorry for the present! Please tell me what it was, I can buy you a new one!"  
"It doesn't matter. Wait, you are not about to cry, are you? Please, there is no need to react like this just for a broken object! I should have been more careful too."  
Yes, of course. A broken object. That's why Jaemin was about to burst in tears. Not because he was face to face with his ex boyfriend, of course not. The problem must have been the broken object.  
"Y-yes, you are right." He replied, wiping away a falling tear with the sleeve of his coat.  
"But really, Jeno, tell me what it was. I owe you a new one."  
"It was a vase decorated with golden birds, but it seemed to be the wrong type of birds. I was going to the shop to change it, but I think they won't take it back anymore, unless they are puzzle lovers." Explained the guy shrugging his shoulders.  
Jaemin looked a bit disoriented. "A vase with golden birds? Your mother had never loved this kind of things..." He remembered her as a very quiet lady with a very sober house, and he found difficult to believe she could have made problems for the kind of birds painted on a vase, especially if it was a present.  
"Uhm..." Jeno hesitated a bit. "Actually, it was not for my mother... It's my girlfriend who asked me that."  
Sure. His girlfriend. Because he had a girlfriend now. Jaemin felt so damn stupid for taking the contrary for granted. Just because he was not over him yet, it wouldn't have to mean that Jeno too was still thinking about them. After all, it was Jaemin who decided to broke up, and Jeno had the right to be happy with someone else.  
"Oh... I see. How much it costs?" Asked Jaemin, putting his hands in the pockets and starting looking for his wallet. "Wait, wait. I can't find my money but give me just a second..."  
He started checking the shopping bags he was holding, but Jeno stopped him. "Jaemin, please. It doesn't matter, for real. And I don't think you can afford it, unless you have changed your job."  
The boy shook his head. "Still the same underpaid job." He was a photographer, and he knew his income was nothing compared to what the other earned being an architect, but at least he really enjoyed his job. "But I really want to repay you..."  
Jeno sighed. "If you really want... Buy me something to eat. I've been busy all day and I didn't even manage to have a decent lunch."  
He gulped. Buying Jeno something to eat would have meant to spend more time with him, and he was not sure he could handle it. But what could he do at that point?  
"All right. I know a café near here... Their cakes are delicious and their coffee too. But... The present?"  
The other shrugged his shoulders again. "It is the last thing I have to do today, and the shop closes at 8pm. I have time."  
Another train was about to arrive, and the subway was overcrowded again. Jeno throw the broken present in the dumpster and they exited the station. Once they sat at the café table, Jeno ordered a piece of apple pie and a frappuccino, while Jaemin opted for a chocolate cake and an americano. They waited quietly for a few minutes, then a waiter placed their orders on the table and left.  
"So..." Started Jaemin, after the embarrassing silence. "Your girlfriend asked you a specific present."  
Jeno nodded. "Yes, but I insisted to know what she wanted. She didn't want to tell me."  
So now you have started showing to people that you actually care about them, though Jaemin, but he just replied with a "How sweet."  
"Jaemin... I'm sorry."  
The guy frowned in confusion. "For what?"  
"I'm sorry I didn't buy you a Christmas present last year because I was busy with work. I know it was very bad from me." He paused. "And I'm also sorry for not wanting to attend the New Year's Eve party with you just because I was tired." Another small pause. "And for have forgotten Valentine's Day."  
Jaemin felt a bit dizzy and he didn't know what to say. These were the reasons that he had given to Jeno when he broke up with him. It was Valentine's Day and he had spent hours preparing the perfect dinner for Jeno, just to find out that he had forgotten what day it was and had accepted to have dinner with others architects. That evening, Jaemin felt really bad and called him saying that he was tired of being the only one making efforts for the other, and that he wanted to end their relationship. After an almost interminable minute of silence, the only thing that Jeno had to say was: "You are right, you deserve better." After the call ended, they never got in touch again. A three years relationship had just been cancelled from one day to another.  
Jaemin's mind was wandering around and he realized he hadn't answered yet, so he said: "It doesn't matter anymore." It doesn't matter anymore because you have someone else now.  
Jeno nodded. "Yes, I know it's really late. but I still wanted to apologize."  
Jaemin took a sip of his coffee. Jeno had already ate half of his pie, while he hadn't touch his cake. His stomach was a bit upside down. "I should apologize too. You were having a bad time and I... I left instead of trying to understand you." His eyes were teary again, and he didn't know what to do anymore. He had never cried much, but since his break up with Jeno, he couldn't help but starting crying everytime he thought about it. It was true, in the last period of their relationship Jeno was often distant and absentminded, but he had just started working for a very important project and he was very stressed. He had tried to talk about that with Jaemin a few weeks before Christmas, but he didn't like to make his boyfriend worry, so the following week he told him he was okay now. But it wasn't true. He was still sad and tired everyday, and he had lost interest in doing everything, being too scared of wasting time and failing the deadline. Back to Valentine's Day, Jaemin really thought that Jeno had stopped caring about him, but as the time passed he started thinking that he was just a selfish fool who couldn't handle the fact that his boyfriend was having an hard time and couldn't dedicate much attention to him. They didn't have to break up necessarily, things could probably have been fixed just talking to each other. But when he realized it, it was too late. A few time had already passed, and Jaemin didn't have the courage to contact Jeno again and ask him how was he doing.  
"No, you were right." was Jeno's reply. "You needed someone who could take good care of you, and back then I couldn't." He finished his frappuccino. "That's why I've worked on myself. I mean, after a first period that was just very gloomy and messy... Anyway, now I'm fine and I'm trying to be a good boyfriend, someone that I didn't manage to be for you."  
Jaemin bit his lower lip. "Jeno... You were already good."  
The other guy smiled sadly. "Not enough. Or things wouldn't have ended in this way."  
Please, can someone enter the café and shoot me? That's what Jaemin was thinking. But instead, he asked: "How long have you been with this girl?"  
"Almost three months. It's not much, but during Christmas I'm always busy so yes, I'm doing my best."  
"Do you love her?" He asked, without thinking. Then he panicked and wished he could take back his words.  
Jeno looked at him with a worried expression. "Jaemin, why are you asking me this..." He wasn't sure what to answer.  
Okay, for Jaemin it definitely was time to leave. He stood up and recollected his shopping bags. "I need to go now. I have a family dinner and I promised my grandmother to help her cooking. I'm going to pay for both, but you don't need to follow me. You can stay here and eat my cake too. As you can see, I didn't touch it."  
But Jeno stood up too. "Thanks, but I'm fine. And I need to go to the shop to buy a new vase."  
Jaemin paid and they both left the café. Snow had started falling, and it was the first time that winter. "So... Goodbye." He offered his hand to Jeno, who gave him a strong handshake.  
"Goodbye, Jaemin. It was nice to see you again."  
Why are you telling me this? Why was it nice? Is it nice to feel pain?  
"Yeah, for me too."  
They were about to separate, when Jeno told him: "Oh, wait", and Jaemin stopped. "Today is the 24th, so..." He continued, and smiled softly. "Merry Christmas, Jaemin."  
The boy forced himself to smile too. "Merry, merry Christmas, Jeno."  
And so, they both went their separate ways.


End file.
